THE FEAST: Skip To Dessert

The Feast, from director Lee Haven Jones, is a slow burner using the consumption during a dinner party to mirror the devastating effects of our consumption of the earth and surrounding environments. You can not consume without consequences. And while it boasts an aesthetic at times reminiscent of Parasite, and delivers on the gore and destruction it promises, the wait to reach the action is a grueling practice in patience.

A black mark in a voided silence

The Feast begins in darkness, the sound of birds chirping marrying with the sounds of an engine starting. As the opening credits roll, it sets the pace that will carry through the film, never in a rush to move viewers from the void. Neither is it in a rush to provide answers, or even a directionality, to the initial narrative. In a quick transition of scenes, we leave the darkness, a close-up of a drilling machine overflowing with oil – the countryside quietly filling the background. Moving quickly, viewers see a man stumbling through the meadow, pain evident in each step he takes. As he collapses to the ground, the film snaps back to the drill, its sound almost deafening.

It is this black against tranquility that is established early on, a dark mark on the seemingly exquisite beauty that surrounds it. As we leave the field and the collapsed worker, we return to a void. We meet Glenda (Nia Roberts), the lady of the house, alone and surround by darkness, the charcoal mask on her face speaking to the mark she carries – or has come to her. As the operatic score fills the room, viewers are transferred to different portions of the house, meeting its inhabitants one by one. Gweirydd (Sion Alun Davies) stands in front of a mirror taking in his physique, his self-indulgence viewed by us as viewers, and his brother Guto (Steffan Cennydd). There is a silent exchange between them, viewers given more time with Guto moments later, his own self-indulgences apparent as he is seen huffing while preparing the wood for the evening.

Through each of their visual introductions, there is not a word spoken by any of the characters, their silence creating a void of its own – and a dark mark to the family’s inability to communicate and live with one another. As Guto takes in his surroundings, he sees himself a victim of the same voyeurism he lent his brother, Cadi (Annes Elwy), a hired help for the evening, silently arriving at the house.

Dragging out the narrative

While the opening develops intrigue through its silent introduction, which continues on throughout the film, it fails to retain the attention. As Cadi reacts to the gunshots from Gwyn’s (Julian Lewis Jones) hunt, there are traces of a mystery that shroud her – both in silence and intentions. Yet, you forget these aspects that are laid out for audiences, a filler of party preparation distracting and cumbersome. As the film continues, Cadi’s behavior becomes more and more eccentric, with little explanation or hints of her connection with the family she is serving and the eery behavior she exhibiting. There are moments of silence and shyness contrasted to the euphoria that borders on mania.

As the idea of making a “good impression” is harped on, there is a feeling of a facade waiting to be unveiled, but when the answers to this feeling are delivered they seem almost empty, almost hollow as these answers and lack of tidbits have left audiences starved for more. And by the time the truth is revealed, it seems almost too late to save The Feast.

This is not to say the film does not have its highs. Annes Elwy is hypnotizing; it is seemingly impossible to take your eyes off her. There is a power that exudes from her silence, her smile giving Cadi a false sense of security, her eyes piercing with deeply invested knowledge. She is remarkable, the film’s final shot one she encompasses completely. Nia Roberts also delivers a powerful performance, quiet and pensive at first – even slightly expected. But as her character descends into the madness around her, the layers of virtue and composure peel back showing a breadth of emotions that fill the screen, especially in her most dramatic of moments.

Conclusion: The Feast

The Feast is a well-crafted film, boasting exquisite shots that deserve their place in horror recognition, but the story itself drags down both performance and imagery. While its thematic examination of our consumption of the environment around us is a poignant topic, a better execution could have lent the film to be a true platform of discussion. When it comes to The Feast, for many, it would be better to just skip to dessert.

Have you seen The Feast? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

The Feast will be release in theaters and VOD on November 19, 2021.

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